Caring
by evieeden
Summary: After Victoria flees to the South, Maria pays a visit to an old friend. Advent story written for 2nd December.


**So, this is the second of my advent stories for 2****nd**** December. Moving away from the wolves to the vampires this time. A big thank you goes out Frankielynn who pre-read this for me very late last night. As always, I own nothing except the plot.**

**I hope you all enjoy this one.**

**Caring**

**MPOV**

The woman standing across the road from me was an idiot.

I watched as she clumsily tried to convince the boy that she had turned that he was the one that she loved, but the set of her body, the way she kept her eyes open when he kissed her and the total lack of passion she demonstrated showed anyone who cared to look what her true feelings were.

I felt my lips curl back from over my teeth in a snarl at her actions.

Stupid woman! Stupid, stupid woman!

That she would even bother trying to follow my example, that she would try to mimic my success, my relationships, galled me in the extreme. As if she could ever lead in the way I could. As if this pathetic, weak-willed boy could ever measure up to my Major.

I growled lowly in disgust and both the vampires across the way stilled at the noise. With one last sneer, I turned on my heel and began to run south. Fifty miles out of Seattle, Alejandro met me, his posture straight, hands clasped behind his back, expression blank. His military background was evident for all to see. I had learnt much from the past; if I wanted a second who could lead an army, then the best place to get one was from the army – preferably an officer with the power to lead.

"It is as you said." I didn't bother with greetings; we were beyond that by now.

He nodded. "She was obviously doing more than just passing through when we allowed her into our territory."

"Yes." I fought the wave of rage that threatened to take hold of my body. "A snake in the grass indeed."

I detested being spied on, especially by those who I took pity on, instead of ripping them to pieces the second they set foot on my land.

I had felt sorry for her initially though. Her tale of losing her mate to another stronger coven had chimed with my own experiences. Losing Joaquin...

I had lost him alongside Estrella and Gael by accident though. We had only wished to hunt in peace, only to be cut down when we unknowingly wandered into the territory of a coven with their own army. From what the woman – Victoria, I picked out her name from the depths of my memory – had told me, her mate was stupid enough to lay claim to a human belonging to this other coven, and then sought to take them on despite their greater numbers. Why they had thought they would come out intact and victorious was beyond me, but apparently her mate had possessed talents, ones they relied far too heavily upon for my liking.

Still, her grief had touched me. I knew only too well how devastating that could be, how consumed with rage and vengeance you could become. And so I had welcomed her into my coven, let her feed and stay protected until the day she suddenly announced her leaving, bidding me farewell with a kiss on my cheek.

A traitor's kiss.

She had just been biding her time until she had enough knowledge to attempt to create her own army, using the lovesick boy to cover her tracks. I had felt paranoid at the time, to send my most trusted lieutenant after her to track her next move, but now I felt fully justified in my actions. I had been right to be wary of her.

I growled again, the rumble in my chest culminating in a snarl of frustration. Alejandro remained impassive, waiting for my instructions, as I ran through all my options in my mind. Finally, he broke the silence that had fallen upon us.

"Should we prepare for battle?"

I considered. Surely if she wished to take advantage of the fertile hunting grounds in the South then it would have made more sense for her to create her army closer to where she meant to fight. Moving newborns cross-country was not something to be attempted lightly. I was not even sure that it would be possible without them becoming...distracted.

"No," I eventually replied. "I don't think she would be so stupid as to think she could possibly take us on."

"She's stupid enough to try forging her own army in an urban area though," he offered.

"True," I mused. "But newborns don't travel well. Therefore, I can only assume that she is seeking vengeance for the loss of her mate here in the North."

I had taught Alejandro well; he immediately gave me the facts that I desired.

"There are three covens located in this part of the continent. One, totalling three members, is the smallest and nomadic. They mostly stay in northern Canada, only occasionally venturing into the south of the country, but never into the States. The other two are...peculiar," he chose his words carefully. "They are both larger, one with five members, including an ex-member of the Volturi guard. The keep a permanent residence in Alaska, near Denali. The other coven also maintains a permanent residence and is made up of seven members and a human..."

"A human?" I interrupted him.

"A pet. From what I understand, one of the males in the coven lays claim to her."

A human pet. "That's the one that this army is after."

Alejandro hesitated. "Are you sure?"

I nodded.

He took my affirmation in his stride. "These two covens appear different, however. They are...unique...in their hunting patterns."

"They only feed off of animals."

"You know of them?" His indifference temporarily disappeared and curiosity shone in his eyes.

I wouldn't be the one to satisfy his thirst for knowledge, however. That story led to my past and it wasn't something I ever wanted to dwell on extensively.

"I have come across them before." I would let him make of that what he would. In the meantime though, I had more important things to be concerned with other than Alejandro's interest. I quickly changed the subject. "I believe it would be wise for you to return home immediately. We have left William alone with our army long enough and I don't trust that they have not killed him yet, or that he has got ideas into his head about making it _his_ army."

My second-in-command was immediately diverted. "You believe that he will try?"

"I believe that the thought has crossed his mind in the past, and that his experiences over the last two days while we have both been away will have either convinced him of his own strengths or made him shy away from the idea completely. I do not trust that it will be the latter enough though to let him go without supervision for long."

Alejandro nodded. "Shall we dispose of him when we return?"

"I shall return a day or so behind you, mi corazon." I ignored his start of surprise. "I have business in this part of the world to conduct before I leave, but I would appreciate if you could take care of the situation for me."

He didn't look pleased by my announcement, but tilted his head in agreement anyway.

I finally let a smile cross my face. "Come here, my love," I beckoned to him.

He happily stepped closer to me, ducking down so that his lips met mine easily. I kissed him with all the passion I could, my mind wandering back to the couple I had seen embracing earlier in the night. I had mocked the boy for believing that he was Victoria's true love, but wasn't the situation exactly the same with myself and Alejandro?

No, I finally decided.

I had made him no promises, told him no lies. I cared for him, as he cared for me, but both of us knew that we were not mated and that our hearts would therefore never be our own to give each other.

I cupped his cheek as we pulled apart, trying to convey everything I could not say in my eyes. He nodded once more, before leaving me with a quick brush of his lips on my forehead. I listened to the sound of his footsteps as he began to sprint southwards, heading back towards Texas, before I turned towards my own destination.

I had never gotten over Joaquin's death, never would in fact. My love for him had been so powerful and ultimately so destructive that I didn't want to experience anything like it ever again. There was one man though, whom I had come close to holding the same ardour for in my life, and a part of me wished I could shy away from him even now and run back home with Alejandro, but I would never leave him exposed like that.

I reached the forest surrounding Forks faster than I wanted to, carefully avoiding the smell of wet dog that permeated the reservation to the west of the town. And then I circled the woods surrounding the big, white house again, and waited...

It didn't take long.

Three of them left the house, two males and a female, and I backed away further from their home, not wanting to be seen as an intruder. As I headed further into the forest, I caught snatches of their conversation.

"...possibly someone just passing by."

"We might have to go and find out though and warn them off. I don't think we want them to stick around, not while Bella's here, especially after last time."

And then I heard his voice for the first time in twenty years. "I'll go. You two can stay back here and keep an eye on things unless there's more than one of them."

"Jasper, you don't have to go alone. Emmett can come with you."

"No, I'll be fine. If there's only one of them then I'll be able to take care of them myself if it comes down to it. Most of our kind are scared of getting too close anyway."

The female voice spoke again. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine. In the meantime you should warn the others."

The faint sound of a door closing reached my ears and then I heard him approaching. I picked up my own pace as he ran towards me, leading him further away from his family's territory until I had reached the coast. I stood on a secluded beach surrounded by cliffs, my feet gliding over the sand, my mind taking note of every grain I crossed over.

"Maria. I thought the scent was familiar."

I turned to face him, taking in his appearance. He looked much the same as always, his hair still a scruffy, curly mess, his shoulder still hunched forward slightly, ready to launch into battle at any minute. His clothes were much neater though, cleaner and more polished, and of course there were his eyes...

"The gold suits you," I commented.

He began to raise his hand to his face, but halfway through the action stopped himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it immediately. It was clear that he had no idea what to say to me and I wondered what my emotional reading was like for him at that moment.

"How have you been?" So, he was going to play polite then. That suited me for now.

"I've been well, thank you. We lost Canadian, in the far north of the state, earlier this month, but managed to gain there and Stratford back two weeks ago."

I could practically see him considering a map of the South as he took in my words. "Are you pushing into Oklahoma next?"

I shook my head. "I want to consolidate the land I already own before I become more greedy. Lack of care made me slip up and I won't make that mistake again."

Jasper narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm surprised to see you so far north then considering you have more pressing concerns within your own territory right now."

The pleasantries were swiftly over then.

"I heard rumours recently about unexplained violence in Seattle and I wished to see for myself what was occurring. I have no desire for the Volturi to visit the United States and decide that they wish to call in upon my coven, you understand."

If I wasn't looking for it, then I wouldn't have noticed Jasper momentarily freeze at my mention of Seattle before affecting a casual look of disinterest. I knew my boy too well though, I had created him, moulded him into what he was today; he couldn't fool me.

"You've been to Seattle?"

This time it was my turn to still in shock at his words. "You haven't?" I questioned incredulously.

He shrugged his shoulders, but I could see his frustration in the set of his shoulders and the downturn of his mouth.

"We've been having difficulties with nomads lately that make us unwilling to venture too far from our home." His voice was stilted, clearly unimpressed with the decisions that had been made by his coven leader. "Once everything calms down here, then I expect that Emmett and I will go up to Seattle to take care of whatever rogue vampires are up there."

My eyes widened in fear, not for myself, but for him.

I knew that Jasper believed that I hadn't treated him well when he was part of my army, but the truth was that I had been as kind to him as I possibly could. We could never have been mates - that was proven by the tiny dark-haired female that he had eventually chosen - but I had always loved him in my way. I had always cared. I only wanted the best for him.

And now he was completely oblivious to the danger that was coming for him and those he cared for. And I was desperately frightened that he wouldn't come out of this fight intact.

"It's not just one rogue vampire, Jasper."

He had been looking away, staring out across the ocean, but now his eyes snapped towards mine. "You've seen them?"

I nodded. He finally closed the space between us and I allowed him to cup my face, his long fingers resting alongside my jaw as he stared into my eyes. I knew what he was doing, of course. He was testing my sincerity, analysing everything I felt to make sure that I wasn't playing with him. At the same time, he was putting me in an incredibly vulnerable position. All he had to do was tighten his grasp and twist his hands and I would be gone, finally extinguished from this life. I allowed it to happen though. I trusted him, even if he no longer placed his faith in me, and if I was to leave this life, I could think of no better warrior to end it all for me.

"Tell me." It was both an order and a request.

"There are too many dead bodies for it to be just one rogue nomad, too many even for a normal-sized coven, and yours is by far the largest here on this continent. The destruction they're causing is unparalleled as well; there is no control anymore in the city."

He released me abruptly and I immediately missed the touch of his hands on my skin, unconsciously leaning towards him. He didn't back away though.

"Newborns?" His tone was resigned and I wondered if he had expected that to be the case before I had appeared.

"An army," I confirmed.

He ducked his head, a sign of his frustration that I recognised from before. Unbidden, I reached up and began to stroke my fingers through his hair, something that used to soothe him and, judging by the quiet rumbling in his chest, still did.

"They're coming for us." It was a fact, not a supposition, so I felt no need to answer him. "We're the closest coven nearby and with our numbers it would take an army to defeat us. It will mean a fight."

My movement stilled and I withdrew my hand. Jasper gazed at me questioningly as I stepped back from him.

I chose my next words carefully. "If you wish me to, I will stay and fight with you."

Jasper swallowed, his jaw clenching and his eyes searching mine. I knew his mind would be tactically evaluating the pluses and minuses of my offer. If I stayed, then my experience would give his coven a great advantage in planning for the fight; however, if I stayed then I also ran the risk of upsetting his coven with my feeding habits and his mate just with my presence.

I could tell what his decision would be before he even made it.

"Thank you for the offer, but perhaps it would be best..."

I held up a hand to stop him. "There is no need to explain. I understand."

"You do, don't you?" he asked, a faint trace of wonderment in his voice.

"I always understood." My words were quiet, but I knew he heard them. "It was never about a lack of understanding."

"It was about survival," he stated.

"It's always about survival," I agreed with him.

There was a soft rustling sound several miles to the east and both our heads automatically jerked around to face that direction.

"They're coming to make sure that I'm alright. They didn't expect me to be away for so long."

Had it really been so long? It didn't feel like it.

"They care deeply for you."

Jasper turned his attention back to me, the intensity of his gaze searing the skin of my face as I looked away.

"So do you."

That made me look at him.

"I never thought that you did, but you wouldn't have come here otherwise. You wouldn't have risked either yourself or your territory this way if you didn't. All these years..." His voice trailed off and I felt a sting in my eyes that had not been there for over a hundred years.

"I should go." I was impressed that I managed to keep my voice steady. "I don't think that I would like to still be here by the time they reach us, especially if I am not to stay." In a rare burst of tenderness, I quickly grasped Jasper's hand, holding it between mine against a heart that no longer beat. "I will come back if you need me too. Remember that."

"I will," he promised, ducking his head to press his lips against my fingers.

I couldn't help myself. Rising up onto my toes, I quickly kissed him before tearing myself away and fleeing halfway down the beach before I stopped and turned back. Jasper was still standing where I left him, watching me go.

I couldn't leave without one last warning though.

"I know that you and your coven do not feed from humans any longer and instead choose to hunt animals, but remember that newborns do not need to hunt to gain their strength, the remnants of their own blood will sustain them through battle."

He titled his head questioningly.

I struggled with how to say this. "Just...make sure that when you face them you are at full strength. Don't compromise the victory for the sake of your morals."

Even at this distance, I could see the quirk of his lips as he heard every word that I left unsaid.

"I will be at full strength when they come," he reassured me.

Relieved that he had heeded me, I allowed myself one last long look at him, before spinning on my heel and running, gathering speed the further from Washington that I got. I had told him all I could and now I had to rely on his fighting prowess to deliver him safely.

A small smile crept across my face as I allowed myself to remember him in all his glory. My mind told me what my heart could not reassure me of.

Jasper would win, he always won. After all, I had taught him well.


End file.
